Gar-wheel



G. W. EDDY'.

Car Wheel. l

No. 4,330. Patented Dec `26, 1845.

AM. PMU'Y'O'LITHOA C0. N.Y. (USBDRNE'S FRCCESS) of the hub of thewheel), and when the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. EDDY, OF WATERFORD, NEW YORK.

CAR-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. EDDY, of Waterford, in the county ofSaratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and improved mode ofconstructing castiron wheels for railroads and other purposes, by whichthe said wheels maybe founded or cast without breaking or cracking orbeing liable to afterward break or crack from strains generated withinthem while being made or during the act of cooling in the mold; and I dohereby declare that the nature of my invention is fully set forth in thefollowing description, accompanying drawing or drawings, letters,`1gures, and references thereof.

My impro-vement is .applicable to cast metal wheels alone.

Figure l of the said drawings, denotes an elevation of the inner side ofmy impro-ved cast iron wheel. Fig. 2 is a transverse and central sectionof it, and Fig. 3 is another and similar section, of a wheel which willbe hereinafter described.

The said wheel is composed of a cast iron rim A, and hub B, unitedtogether by two plates C, D, as seen in Figs. l and 2. In the aboverespects, the wheel does not differ from many now in common use.

My improvement is to be found, in the manner in which the plate D ismade; the same having an undulating or serpentine shape, in crosssection, as seen at a b c (l e in Fig. 2.

The plate C, or outer plate of the wheel, is what is termed a convexplate, (in contradistinction to a concave plate, which is made dishingtoward the center of the axis plate D, has been made convex in theopposite direction, it has become necessary, in cast-ing the wheel, todivide or separate the hub B, into two parts, (as will be seen byreference to certain Letters Patent, granted on the seventeenth day ofMarch,of the year eighteen hundred and thirty eight, to MessieursBonney, Bush and Lobdell, of Wilmington, in the State of Delaware) otherwise, the strains upon the hub in opposite directions, caused byshrinkage of the rim in cooling (while being founded) would be so greatas to break the hub or plates, or otherwise seriously injure the wheel,so as to render it generally unfit for safe usage.

By making either the outer or inner plates 4,330, dated December 26,1845.

of an undulating or irregular shape, as seen in section in Fig. 2, andthe other plate concave or convex, the former will readily contact inopposite directions, as it cools, under the contractile force of thechilled rim, and, in so doing, will not oppose any counteracting force,to that which is generated in a lateral direction, by the contraction ofthe convex or concave plate. Therefore, no separation or division of thehub will become necessary. Consequently, I am enabled, by thus makingthe plates of a wheel, to render it very much stronger in its hub, thanwhen made with two convex plates, whose convexities stand in oppositedirections. In connection with the undulating plate D, the other plate Cmaybe made undulating as seen in Fig. 3. Both plates, when so made, willreadily yield to the contraction of the rim, and will coo-l withoutbreaking themselves, or either of them, or the hub.

Although I obtain a great advantage, in being able to cast the hubsolid, with the exception of the hole which receives the axle, yet I donot intend to confine my invention to the solid hub alone, as, by usingthe undulating plate or plates, even when a divided hub is used, Irender the whole much less liable to being fractured or broken, whenfounded, than. when made with concave plates, or concave and convexplates, or convex plates alone.

I do not claim the manner of constructing a cast iron or metal railwaycar wheel, by making it of two convex, or concave plates, or one convexand one concave plate, united to a solid, or a divided hub, and acircular rim and flanch as heretofore made; but

That which I do claim, is-

My improved manner of constructing a wheel, by which I am enabled tocast it with a solid hub and in other respects as I have above setforth, viz: by making it with an undulating plate, in combination with aconcave or convex plate, or another undulating plate as hereindescribed. i

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature, this twenty thirdday of August A. D. 1845.

GEORGE W. EDDY.

Vitnesses:

D. Gr. SMITH, D. B. KING.

